Dr. Satish Nagarajaiah's current research focuses on seismic protection with new and novel negative stiffness systems, variable stiffness systems, smart tuned mass dampers, structural health monitoring of deepwater risers and fatigue damage detection due to vortex induced vibrations, and nanosensors in projects funded by the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Office of Naval Research and other private industries.

Satish Nagarajaiah has made many notable contributions to structural engineering, structural dynamics, seismic protection, earthquake engineering and smart structures. His most notable contributions are in the development of new modeling techniques and algorithms for nonlinear dynamic analysis of base isolated structures, structural control, system identification, structural health monitoring, and smart multifunctional materials for sensing.

Satish Nagarajaiah has developed new analytical models for elastomeric (including instability effects) and sliding bearings (biaxial friction interfaces) and computational approaches (semi-implicit time stepping method) for nonlinear dynamic analysis of three dimensional based isolated structures, which enabled engineers to analyze and design safer base isolated buildings around the world. He developed the numerical method for solving the difficult problem of biaxial friction that leads to stiff differential equations. The outcome of such transformative development of advanced modeling and numerical techniques for nonlinear dynamic analysis of base isolated structures is the computer software 3D-BASIS that is used widely by academics and design professionals around the world for the past two decades. 3D-BASIS has been used for analysis and design of numerous base isolated structures within the United States and in other countries such as Turkey, Greece, Japan, China, and India. Landmark structures where 3D-BASIS was used are the New San Francisco International Airport and the San Francisco General Services Building, both of which are supported on friction pendulum bearings. 3D-BASIS enabled implementation of base isolation in structures in the United States from its early stages of inception, particularly in areas of high seismicity.

Satish Nagarajaiah’s recent research thrust in seismic/vibration isolation and smart structures has focused on semiactive, adaptive, passive, variable stiffness and damping structural systems. National Science Foundation recognized his contributions to smart structures with adaptive/variable stiffness systems by awarding him the NSF CAREER award in 1998. His group has performed widely cited research on adaptive/variable stiffness structural systems and smart tuned mass dampers to date by making sustained contributions. Smart/adaptive tuned mass dampers with variable stiffness systems that he and his team developed lead to full scale implementations in China.

Satish Nagarajaiah’s research thrust in system identification and control has centered on the development of new time-frequency algorithms. His group has also developed advanced real time fault detection and system identification algorithms for structural, actuator and sensor failure, specifically designed for implementation on the international space station by NASA.

In a recently concluded Institute/center funded by NASA (Texas Institute of Intelligent Bio-Nano Materials and Structures for Aerospace Vehicles—in which he served as co-principal investigator) his team conducted widely cited research on nanocomposite based strain sensing—one of the first in the world to explore the potential of macrostrain sensing using nanomaterials. The pioneering contribution was conceptual development of multifunctional materials that can enhance strength and simultaneously perform strain sensing, i.e., the material itself acts as multi-directional/multi-locational strain sensor; thus, eliminating the need for collection of external strain sensors. He and his collaborators have poineered the development of noncontact laser based strain sensing and monitoring using advanced nanomaterials.

Dr. Nagarajaiah is a world leader in advanced protective systems, vibration isolation and seismic protection in the form of adaptive stiffness systems and smart tuned mass dampers, that have led to full-scale implementation. National Science Foundation has recognized his contributions to adaptive stiffness structural systems by awarding the prestigious NSF CAREER award in 1998. Recently he led a large NSF project of five universities and multiple investigators and invented/developed a new adaptive negative stiffness structural system that significantly enhances seismic protection of buildings and bridges, for which he and his team was awarded the Moissieff Award by ASCE in 2015.

He is also world’s leading researcher in structural system identification algorithms based on time-frequency, sparse and low rank methods based on statistical learning. He has presented several invited keynote lectures at world conferences, and presented numerous invited lectures at universities around the world.

Although most of his group’s research efforts are theoretical and numerical, the group believes in small scale experimental verification and performs innovative testing (small % of total effort). The group’s key research contributions have resulted in widely cited journal papers and several U.S. patents. Full details of research projects and journal/conference publications can be found at satishnagarajaiah.rice.edu.

Satish Nagarajaiah enjoys research immensely. He works independently, but values key collaborations within the department, within Rice University and with researches from all around the world. He has ongoing collaborations with researchers in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Material Science, and Chemistry at Rice. In his recent NSF NEES project he collaborates with researchers from University at Buffalo, RPI, and UCLA. He has ongoing collaborations with researchers in Europe, India, and China. He has mentored numerous graduate and undergraduate students, and post-doctoral researchers. His former students/group members have gone on to successful careers in the academia (currently at assistant and associate professor level), in the industry and in some cases hold leadership positions at the level vice president, and in government research laboratories such as the Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Los Alamos Laboratory.

PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Satish Nagarajaiah's editorial activities include service as the Managing Editor of the Journal of Structural Engineering [ASCE International journal] (2011—present), Editor of the Structural Control and Health Monitoring [Wiley International Journal] (2008—present) and Editor-in-chief [North America] of Structural Monitoring and Maintenance [Techno-press International Journal] (2014—present). ASCE Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) elected him as an inaugural fellow in 2012 for his service to structural engineering community. He currently serves on the ASCE SEI board of the governors. He served as the chair/vice-chair/secretary/member (2006-to-2012) of ASCE, SEI, Technical Activities Division Executive Committee (TAD-ExCom). He served as a member of the board of directors of the international association of structural control and monitoring (2008-2012). He served as the President of the U.S. panel on structural control and monitoring (2006-2008). He was the founding chair of ASCE structural health monitoring committee (2004-2006), ASCE-Engineering Mechanics Institute, and chair of the structural control committee (1998-2002), ASCE Structural Engineering Institute. For further details visit his website satishnagarajaiah.rice.edu.

SUMMARY

Dr. Satish Nagarajaiah enjoys his work immensely and believes in high standards of scientific excellence and integrity. He believes in educating and providing access to advanced knowledge to aspiring young minds. He is always ready to serve and work hard toward a collective future. He has carved out an international reputation built on imagination, creativity, ingenuity, innovation, and sustained effort in his chosen field of seismic base isolation, smart structures with adaptive/variable stiffness systems, smart tuned mass dampers, system identification, sensing and monitoring. His work always aspires to create innovative and transformative knowledge that results in practical benefit to the society.

Research Statement

Dr. Satish Nagarajaiah's recent research focuses on seismic protection with new and novel adaptive negative stiffness systems, variable stiffness systems, smart tuned mass dampers, system identification, structural health monitoring of deepwater risers and fatigue damage detection due to vortex induced vibrations, and nanosensors in projects funded by the National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, office of naval research and other private industries.

Beili Chen, PhD Adaptive detection and control of large flexible structures. (Thesis Director)

Michael Contreras, PhD TBD. (Thesis Director)

Awards, Prizes, & Fellowships

Leon S. Moisseiff Award, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Contact based distributed strain sensing using SWCNT nano-films, which was highlighted as one of the most cited papers in Nanotechnology journal in the 25th anniversary issue and web page of the Nanotechnology Journal, Nanotechnology Journal: http://iopscience.iop.org/0957-4484/page/25th-volume (2014)